Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-24
THE ASYLUM REPORT.
Continued from First Page

to visit the patients under his charge ac-
cording to the requirements OF the by
laws, months at a time elapsing without
his seeing the condition and character oil
treatment of the insane in certain wards.
Keeping in the employment of the Hos
pital fayorites who are incompetent to dis
charge the duties required of them, result
ing in cruelty to patients such rs corporal
punishment and also deaths, suicides,
chilblains of serious character and scald-
ING of patients. Permitting dangerous
patients TO run at large, others 10
90 out with rifles and fire arms to hunt
game. Two patients lost their lives by
drowning by being permitted to wander
off unattended. Allowing the distribu7.
ton among favorites in the town OF large
quantities of products of the farm and
garden, such as strawberries, grapes, Gel
ery and other vegetables. Also employing
the labor in the wash house and laundry
for persons who are in no way connected
with the institution. Allowing IN M
proper in~termingling ofthe X by reason
of which a female patient, Nettie
Bnrsiner, has recently given birth to a
child. Afemale attendant Lummle smith
became pregnant and committed suicide In
the institution, and the general moral
tone of the Hospital has been greatly I'M
paired. A lack of viligence and discipline
over those under his care, resulting In q
greater number of deaths, suicides, inJu-
ries and escapes than at any former period
in the history of the institution.
Fundamentally, conduct OF such a
character with the female patients that 1t
has given rise to scandal upon the institu-
ton. Clandestinely taking and appro-
priating whisky which had been previous
ly drugged to catch the offender. Through
Misrepresentation and a refusal to show
the hospital record, depriving a former
patient Doctor Detamore) from exercising
the right OF suffrage.
The above charges and specifications are
based upon information, and ! believe that
many or most of them are true, and will
be verified by evidence.
[Signed. Nj. ). HOLT.
MRS. CAIN APPEALS To THE COMMITTEE.
DR.. Summers, of the Insane Asylum
Committee, received the following Telegram
from Weston to-day:
''You promised protection. DIR. Bland
discharged me to-day. Notify committee.
TSigned1 MRS. SARAH CAIN"
DR.. Summers stated that in order to OBJ
tain the testimony of the attendants a
promise was given them to protect them in
their positions. By that means they were
enabled to get valuable testimony that
they probably could not have gotten 9TH
erwise.
To RESTORE THEM THEIR PLACE.
The following resolution was offered in
the Senate by Senator McCreery:
Senate Joint Resolution No. 81, pro-
yiding for the restoration of certain en-
ployes at the Hospital for the Insane to the
places from which they have been or may
be discharged.
Resolred BY the Legislature Of Vest Virginia:
First.That the Board OF Directors ofthe
Hospital for the Insane, or in its absence,
the Executive Committee thereof, are
hereby authorized and instructed to return
to their places any employe of said institu-
ton who may have given evidence before the
special Joint Committee of the Legislature
in the month of February, 1887, and who
may have since been discharged from said
institution or may hereafter he discharged,
within two months after the passage of
this resolution on account of giving such
testimony, and all such discharged EN-
ployes shall, upon their restoration, be
paid their wages for the time intervening
between their time of discharge and resto-
ration"
A resolution was offered in the Senate
to-day to extend the session five days for
the purpose of hearing the testimony in
the Asylum investigating matter. The
excitement over the report of the Commit
tee is marked.